9 Sneaky Ways to Get New Floors for Under $50

Some people hate their floors and long for a new look. Others love theirs but can't abide their minor imperfections: a scratch, dent, or loose tile. Whatever your beef with your floors, there's a fast solution—one that doesn't involve a renovation. Click through for a round-up of some of the most genius products available to refresh your floors.

Wood, Laminate and Vinyl Putty

Every floor has its fair share of nicks, gaps, and scratches. The imperfections are nearly impossible to prevent, since they often stem from everyday occurrences like dropping silverware and sliding heavy furniture. Thankfully for clumsy homeowners, the Roberts Dark Brown Wood, Laminate and Vinyl Putty can quickly reverse the damage. After cleaning the floor and kneading the tube, apply the putty to wood, laminate, or vinyl flooring. Spread the product with a putty knife and remove the excess with a cloth. The nicks, scratches, and gaps will disappear, giving you like-new flooring in no time! Available at Home Depot; $3.99.

Loose Tile Adhesive

Loose tiles are a nuisance for homeowners, and the unsteady surface creates a safety hazard. To easily fix the wobbliness, consider buying the Color Fast Loose Tile Repair Adhesive. Simply inject the elastomeric adhesive under loose tiles to re-adhere them to the base, and clean up the mess with soap and water. Homeowners can also use the Color Fast adhesive to fill hollow spots in their tile floor. No need for costly repairs or a floor replacement! Available on Amazon; $12.99.

Concrete Resurfacer

Nobody wants to think about the hassle and expense of breaking up, removing, and fully replacing a concrete floor. But in the garage or basement—or indeed anywhere you’ve got a worn, unsightly concrete surface—achieving a fresh, pristine look likely doesn’t require starting from scratch. So long as the slab remains structurally sound—with cracks, gouges, and other forms of damage already patched—you can rely on a product like Quikrete Concrete Resurfacer to make your old concrete look new again. The easy-to-apply product spreads over existing concrete, creating a flawless surface layer, as fresh as the day the concrete was poured.
Available at The Home Depot; $25.97.

Hardwood Floor Reviver

There are many wonderful things about natural hardwood flooring. One is that you can refinish it over and over again, giving it a new lease on life each time you do it. Of course, there’s a downside. Refinishing takes time and effort—and if you a hire a pro, the work doesn't come cheap. Minwax Hardwood Floor Reviver offers a nice, affordable compromise between on the one hand, doing nothing and on the other hand, going all the way. The product doesn’t magically heal damaged flooring, but for dull, lightly scratched, or worn-looking hardwoods—simply put, for hardwoods that show signs of wear and tear—lots of folks say there's no better product. Available at Amazon; $20.97.

Squeaky Floor Repair Kit

Are you able to tell exactly where someone in your house is standing because of your squeaky floors? While that might act as your unofficial security alarm, you don’t have to live with the creaks with a product like the Squeeeeek No More Floor Repair Kit on the market. The kit includes all the tools necessary to fix noisy floor boards—special screws, alignment and depth control fixture, and a customized driver bit—to eliminate the squeaks between your floor boards and joists. The easy-to-use kit works for hardwood, vinyl, and carpeted floors. Available on Amazon; $19.69.

Vinyl Flooring Repair Kit

A scratch or tear in vinyl isn't a cause to spring for brand new floors, but that also doesn't mean that you have to live with the damage. A vinyl repair kit, like Cal-Flor’s VinylFix Mix2Match Repair Kit gives you a quick and easy way to make your floors look as good as new. With putty and multiple tints, you can create the perfect tone or pattern you need to cover the gouge or mark on your floor. The kit comes with instructions to mix specific formulas or you can freestyle on your own. Once the putty dries, you won’t even be able to find the mark. Available on Amazon; $18.88.

Try a Dye Job

White carpet looks wonderful when installed, but years of dirt and stains—no matter how much you vacuum—can leave it looking dingier than Day 1. Rather than rip out your pricey plush flooring and start all over, consider giving your carpet pile a DIY dye job. The expansive selection at AmeriColor Carpet Dyes and Chemicals offers more than 70 colors to choose from (which can be diluted to lighter or concentrated to darker shades, depending on your preferences). With a single 20-ounce bottle and guidance from our how-to, you can refresh up to 1,000 square feet! Available at Americolordyes.com; $26.95 for 20 oz.

Stencil It In

Unhappy with a plain old concrete patio or the boring beige tile in the kitchen? With a little paint and the aid of a laser-cut stencil like the Verona Wall and Floor Painting Stencil, your floors can contribute as much pattern and punch to the design as a print in the upholstery or curtains. Go subtle by painting the crisp circles and diamonds in semi-gloss version of the matte color beneath, or bump it up a notch with bolder contrast. Once you've updated one room, you'll want to repeat all throughout the house—and you can with this 18.5-inch-by-19.5-inch reusable template! Available at Home Depot; $26.98.

Great Grout

Nothing ages a bathroom like gray, yellow, or moldy grout. If yours is clean but discolored from years of moisture and grime, give it a refresh with a grout pen. If you can color within the lines, you can use a grout pen. Simply run the tip of the pen along a line of clean grout to restore your bathroom or kitchen tiles to pristine condition. And, your grout will stay cleaner looking for longer thanks to the grout pen's antibacterial formulation. Available on Amazon; $7.80.